Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Coming this fall... maybe


Gotta hand it to the major broadcast networks.  They sure are optimistic.  CBS and NBC in particular have set their fall schedules and are rolling the dice that scripted material will get produced in time.  NBC just announced their schedule yesterday. 

 

They all will probably delay the start of their fall seasons, but hope burns eternal that come October they’ll have something more than PRESS YOUR LUCK (which is exactly what they’re doing).


FOX is the smart one.  They have a lot of their fall shows already in the can. 

 

There are so many variables in play here.  Lots of restrictions, guidelines, and you KNOW some cast and crew members are going to come down with the virus.  Will that trigger shut downs? Postponements?   It’s anybody’s guess.

 

Shows will have to scale back their scope.  No crowd scenes.  No live audiences for multi-cams (although a show’s employees may sit in the audience) – probably a lot of scenes of just two people social distancing, talking to each other.

 

Some showrunners are all onboard.  Anything they can do to keep their shows going is fine with them.  But God bless him, Robert King – co-creater/showrunner of THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL – is not all for it.  In his words: “You’re going to make network television even more boring?” 

 

My sentiments exactly. 

 

We’ll see what happens. 

19 comments :

Kyle said...

Ken- Wondering if you have any thoughts on NBC using a 30 Rock Reunion to announce their next season.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vulture.com/amp/2020/06/30-rock-cast-reunion-nbc-upfronts-special.html

David said...

Ken,

So now we know what the broadcast networks hope to do for their evening content.

I just read that CBS' daytime soaps start work again this week! The article I read said that for some of those intimate scene's between actors that they will substitute the actors real spouse, and rely on camera tricks to make it look real? I can't imagine. Such effort to get a soap opera going again....but at what cost and risk to the actors? The stories were questionable enough and now add in weird camera work.

tavm said...

David, your comment just reminded of the last "SNL" ep that aired before a live audience that had a sketch that had such concerns...

McAlvie said...

I wonder. Just off the top of my head, but it occurs to me that we've seen all kinds of former restrictions get loosened or done away with entirely over the decades. This did not actually improve anything, and it could be argued that something in the way of quality has been lost. When you have restrictions, you have to get more creative, more intelligent about how you do something. You have to be innovative.

So, not saying that tvland won't still try to take the easy way out, because its just habit now; but it is just possible that having to work within certain restrictions could result in better shows.

maxdebryn said...

I'm looking forward to the new "My Dinner with Andre" weekly series, with Josh Gadd as "Wallace Shawn," and D J Qualls as "Andre Gregory." They discuss Hegelian philosophy in the pilot episode over a nice Vegan repast.

Wendy M. Grossman said...

I hope I'm still alive to read the eventual PhD dissertation: "American Television During the Pandemic: Adaptation and Denial"

wg

jenmoon said...

Is the pandemic existing in these shows (especially soap operas) or not?

Troy McClure said...

Ken, have you heard of Cameo? I just discovered it a few days ago. Celebrities record personalized video shout outs or answer questions from fans. It's got everyone from Z list reality "stars" to bona fide stars like Wesley Snipes, Debra Messing, Christopher Lloyd and John Cleese. They all charge different prices.

And for the, ahem, bargain sum of $300, you can request a video from Robert Wagner.

Got any questions for RJ?!

VP81955 said...

"When you have restrictions, you have to get more creative, more intelligent about how you do something. You have to be more creative."

That's often cited as why screwball comedy succeeded in the wake of the Production Code being so strictly imposed in mid-1934. Instead of seeing Carole Lombard and other stars in lingerie, you heard them dispense witty dialogue in "My Man Godfrey" and other classics of the genre. Made up for not seeing them in lingerie.

blinky said...

Best news I heard is 30 ROCK is doing a one hour show with the original cast. That was an exceptional show that I am watching again from the beginning. It is hard to believe they got away with what they did only 10 years ago.

Unknown said...

We need more awards shows.

sanford said...

I wonder how they are going to do Zoey's Extended Play List. There are lot background people in that show. Especially the musical scenes. The certainly couldn't do some of those bar scenes or the church scene where Zoey's neighbor is singing. Unless these shows can do some magical tricks most shows are really going to stink. I think that would go for movies as well.

Mike Bloodworth said...

This seems like a perfect opportunity to produce more animated shows. But, good ones like the early seasons of "The Simpsons." Not bad ones like the later seasons of "The Simpsons."
It's the perfect solution. No need for a live audience. And the voice actors are usually recorded separately, so there's very little chance of transmitting covid-19 to another actor or the crew. Cost of production is the major concern.

What about the cop shows (or police procedurals if you prefer) that will have to rework their shows to reflect the current political climate. Any completed scripts will have to be tossed out or thoroughly rewriten delaying their new seasons. "Law & Order SVU" is the one I've heard mentioned most often. There's also "The Rookie." Their season finale however, ended with them trying to find a corrupt cop.

Of course, one can always turn off the TV and listen to records on their hi-fi.

M.B.

P.S. Ken, NOT an F.Q., but if someone asked you and David to write for a new animated show would you quit writing plays and return to television?

thirteen said...

Somebody mentioned Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. I wasn't expecting it to come back, and I really liked s1, but I don't see where it can go from where they left it. The whole thing was about Zoey and her father, and her father's death. They even did "The Day the Music Died," which I thought was supposed to clue us that Zoey's visions were over. I hope we don't find out that Zoey was much better as a limited series, if there even is such a thing anymore.

Gary said...

Ken, here's a (hypothetical) Friday Question: If you and your writing partner were just starting out and desperate to break into the business, would you accept a writing assignment from a show you thought was terrible? (I'm thinking of something like GILLIGAN'S ISLAND or MY MOTHER THE CAR.) And if so, would you try to dumb your writing down to match the tone and audience of such a show, or would you try to "write up" and create a more clever and quality episode?

MikeN said...

They could just move filming to Arizona and have a studio audience.

Janet said...

How in the world can you do good drama (or comedy, for that matter) while actors social distance?

Troy McClure said...

Twice this week the Supreme Court has ruled against Dump, first on LGBT rights and now on DACA.

Can't wait for his inevitable tweet. "SCOTUS is corrupt and out of touch! Filled with failed judges appointed by crooked Democrats! Sleepy John Roberts doesn't know the law! Sad!"

Unknown said...

I looked at Cameo. Pretty sad.